The TimeKeeper Chronicles: The Tree of Life
by JackieBwrites
Summary: Davey Flynn has always had a passion for music, and for any external rhythm that has the power to set his internal clock. Unbeknownst to him, he is a timekeeper, descendant of Dagda, and a member of the Tuatha tribe of Ireland. In this 1st book, Davey is introduced to his destiny through his uncle, Thomas.


For centuries, man believed that the sun revolves around the earth. Centuries later, he still thinks that time moves clockwise. ~Robert Brault

**Introduction**

A new land; rolling, green hills for as far as the eye can see. The Túatha Dé Danann, descendants of Danu, goddess of fertility and the earth, daughter of Delbáeth and Ernmas. Legend has it they arrived to this land then burnt their ships so they could not go back. Wandering warriors - it was not in their nature to retreat. Mist rising from the burning vessels, filling the air, brought with it a black haze that covered the sun for three days and three nights. Conmacne Mara, the place was called; Gaelach, the island was named.

Who were these people? They were not the first invaders. They had been here before. They were the Túatha, descendants of Nemed, defeated by the Fomorians and forced to flee their homes after Nemed's death. From there, sentenced to drift at sea until they reached the remote islands of the north, and the four cities - Falias, Gorias, Murias, and Findias. A lost tribe confronting a new and painful beginning; it was a time of exile, but also of introspection. The Túatha would not be defeated. They began a period of growth, and with the help of four druids - Morfesa, Esras, Semias, and Uiscias - they took this opportunity to identify their unique talents and develop their skills.

Danu, a giver, appreciated their desire to succeed in the face of great misfortune. She offered the Túatha her gifts – her magic and wisdom - and cultivated their individual strengths. Eventually, the tribe was revitalized and they were able to conquer, once again. And so when they landed on Gaelach they were not afraid to burn their ships. As masters of art, poetry, music, and warfare, they came to settle, and to rule.

Four magical talismans accompanied them: Lia Fail - the Stone of Destiny, Gáe Assail - the Spear of Lugh, Freagarthach - the sword of Nuada, and the Cauldron of Dagda. But nothing was more important than Dagda's Uaithne - a splendid, enchanted harp, made of oak and ornamented with gold and jewels. It was grand in size and lovely to behold, with beautiful music in its strings.

Dagda was the son of Danu; he was the High King of the Túatha and the protector of the tribe. He was coarse and foul; nevertheless, he was a gifted musician, and when he played his harp the Seasons were summoned and arranged in their proper order. Time found a home and was given meaning, and the Túatha thrived in a bountiful environment where they sowed and reaped the benefits of their labor, according to the natural cycles of the earth. An agricultural people, this was their purpose.

Sadly, their peace did not last. The Túatha were finally defeated by the Milesians, and they withdrew to Tir na nÓg. Legend says that their homes became subterranean caverns called the Sidhe, where the tribe used their magic to hide from their enemy, and mortal eyes. Here they are supposedly immortal, but it is only a tale, and a worthless one at that.

For the Túatha are the custodians of Dagda's harp, the minder of the Seasons, and the keepers of time. They are the caretakers of light and darkness, ensuring that one never governs the other, thereby disrupting the ordinary rhythm of the universe and plunging the world into chaos. Faeries, they have been called, but that is also nonsense. The Túatha dwell among us, while standing on the fringe of society, like the former, ancient pillars of Ballynahattin, like guardians. Itinerants, some would say, because they cling to their own ways and have no fixed address, more of necessity than anything else. Their aim is to control the movement of time, to recognize the dangers that threaten its cycle, and to correct the departures from that sequence. To this end, they stir like moments and feel seconds in their souls. Their interior rhythms coincide with time's exterior pulse and they can't be still. Foreign to their temperaments, it is ridiculous to expect it, and dangerous to want it.

Instead, the Túatha advance as a collective, even though each member of the tribe has their own talent, function, and destiny, which fits within the brethren and keeps time in balance, so that night follows day, and the sun does not overshadow the moon. The single elements are necessary to the whole, and it is only when one is missing that the natural order is disturbed. It is only when one is absent, like now, that time is in flux, and darkness and all its demons threaten to overtake the light. Dagda's harp is silent, waiting for the one who will play her and restore equilibrium to the universe. It is time for him to welcome his purpose. It is time.


End file.
